The Giving Up/ Cutting Down alcohol support thread - number 12

jo1972

4 for me thanks Shaggy

Last night was the hardest so far. My kids are off to their dads today and DS got all upset because he wants to stay with me (plus this also means that he's got to go back to school :rotfl:). They both got a bit upset as we put Christmas back in the loft yesterday for another 11 months and the place looks empty. OH does like to make the place look like Santa's grotto for the kids, you could probably see the house from space :rotfl:

So with an upset boy and the house back to normal it felt as though magic had left and all was back to routine and I put my shoes on and off for the whole evening debating going to the offy. Then got to the door and changed my mind again. Pleased I got through it however under no illusions when I drop my kids off this afternoon and come back to an empty quiet house that I will struggle. So I've told OH we're going out for dinner!

Good luck to everyone today

Xxx

365days

Remember that we deal with alcohol, cunning, baffling, powerful

See. Even though RA isn't here anymore his words remain!!

http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/

gwithbag

new_year_new_start wrote: »

still2/30

I'm afraid I couldn't bring myself to pour the brandy away. I inevitably drank it. It's conceivable that I subconsciously set myself up for Saturday night, I know how devious my booze brain can be. It's a lesson learned.

Never mind onwards and upwards, it's a new day. Well done everbody who managed last night.

Interesting you mention your "booze brain", it's apparently a part of your mid-brain called the Amygdala (your mid-brain is the part that deals with things like motivation, emotion, learning, and memory).

The Amygdala's function is to remember pleasurable experiences, like those you get from eating when you're hungry. Without it we wouldn't survive. Unfortunately, it also remembers things like drinking alcohol, smoking etc., that, if repeated often enough, it registers as a "must do" activity and encourages you by firing your emotional buttons, to get your thinking brain to do things like going down to the offy and buying that bottle of brandy. (The Amygdala can't do any of these things itself, it doesn't have control of your arms and legs, for instance, it can only try to persuade your thinking brain to do it).

So, in summary, what we're all trying to do is re-program our Amygdalas to "forget" the association between drinking and pleasure.

jo1972

365days wrote: »

Remember that we deal with alcohol, cunning, baffling, powerful

See. Even though RA isn't here anymore his words remain!!

http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/

Where is that RA? I miss him, wonder if he's about?

365days

gwithbag wrote: »

Interesting you mention your "booze brain", it's apparently a part of your mid-brain called the Amygdala (your mid-brain is the part that deals with things like motivation, emotion, learning, and memory).

The Amygdala's function is to remember pleasurable experiences, like those you get from eating when you're hungry. Without it we wouldn't survive. Unfortunately, it also remembers things like drinking alcohol, smoking etc., that, if repeated often enough, it registers as a "must do" activity and encourages you by firing your emotional buttons, to get your thinking brain to do things like going down to the offy and buying that bottle of brandy. (The Amygdala can't do any of these things itself, it doesn't have control of your arms and legs, for instance, it can only try to persuade your thinking brain to do it).

So, in summary, what we're all trying to do is re-program our Amygdalas to "forget" the association between drinking and pleasure.

The addcits mantra is NOW. I want it NOW. Delayed gratification is an unknown.

The trouble with most addictive drugs/behaviour is that they act quickly. They satisfy that NOW feeling. Which is why they are so desirable.

Why does a donut hit the spot when an apple doesn't? White sugar gives you an instant 'hit'

So, yes, I agree that we have to retrain our brains. Addiction, for me at least, is absolutely fascinating. I am still adddicted to other things but I've kicked my alcohol addiction. I'm still an addict though.

Drinking when you are an alcoholic isn't pleasurable. It is full of self loathing, pity, shame, guilt. headaches, sickness, drama, fights, rows, shall I go on???

Yes it gives you the 'hit' you crave but at a very high cost.

Nasty stuff.

365days

jo1972 wrote: »

Where is that RA? I miss him, wonder if he's about?

Not seen him around for a long long time....Lets hope he is still RA and not just A !!

gwithbag

365days wrote: »

The addcits mantra is NOW. I want it NOW. Delayed gratification is an unknown.

The trouble with most addictive drugs/behaviour is that they act quickly. They satisfy that NOW feeling. Which is why they are so desirable.

Why does a donut hit the spot when an apple doesn't? White sugar gives you an instant 'hit'

So, yes, I agree that we have to retrain our brains. Addiction, for me at least, is absolutely fascinating. I am still adddicted to other things but I've kicked my alcohol addiction. I'm still an addict though.

Drinking when you are an alcoholic isn't pleasurable. It is full of self loathing, pity, shame, guilt. headaches, sickness, drama, fights, rows, shall I go on???

Yes it gives you the 'hit' you crave but at a very high cost.

Nasty stuff.

You're right, of course, it's just that the caring, thinking front brain is doing all the guilt, self-loathing, why am I doing this? stuff while the Amygdala's doing, "Go on, go on! You really want this!

jo1972

365days wrote: »

Not seen him around for a long long time....Lets hope he is still RA and not just A !!

I've just looked him up, he hasn't logged on since 2012 so I've sent him a message, lets hope his email is still current. After all I'm back here after a couple of years after being messaged too, thanks to GC :A

Baileysonice

Hi everyone :wave:

Some really interesting posts to catch up on today everyone is doing so well in January. My booze brain sometimes feels like the only brain I have so it needs some serious retraining

i have no place posting really as I am 5 days in January and can call a big fat zero so far but that was kind of expected as there was still lots of social stuff my booze brain insisted on attending

the positive is that I feel really ready for some AF days now and am very determined to meet my target of 15. Sick of hangovers now and the body being more like the local boozer than a temple Back to work tomorrow and a very hectic month so I really could do with the head being in the right place.

Looking forward to being able to post with a smile on my face again this week so good luck everyone and see you on the sober side soon.

365days

Baileysonice wrote: »

Hi everyone :wave:

Some really interesting posts to catch up on today everyone is doing so well in January. My booze brain sometimes feels like the only brain I have so it needs some serious retraining

i have no place posting really as I am 5 days in January and can call a big fat zero so far but that was kind of expected as there was still lots of social stuff my booze brain insisted on attending

the positive is that I feel really ready for some AF days now and am very determined to meet my target of 15. Sick of hangovers now and the body being more like the local boozer than a temple Back to work tomorrow and a very hectic month so I really could do with the head being in the right place.

Looking forward to being able to post with a smile on my face again this week so good luck everyone and see you on the sober side soon.

Here's a little secret! Posts like yours make me stronger in my sobriety. So you ABSOLUTELY have every place to post...Good luck.